Tardy records 1,000th kill in five set battle

Thursday, November 9

Phoenix, Ariz.

6:00 P.M.

Grand Canyon

8-17, 3-10WAC

NM State

20-7, 10-3WAC

NM State

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Michael Rincon

11/9/2017 9:05:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

By: Mark Oshidari

PHOENIX – The Grand Canyon women's volleyball team gave the conference's best team all it could handle as NM State edged GCU 25-19, 18-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-9 on Thursday night in GCU Arena.

It was a night where Natalie Tardy's second kill in the second set gave her 1,000 career kills and more importantly a lift as the Lopes won the second set 25-18, evening the match into the break.

The Lopes battled for over 2.5 hours as the Western Athletic Conference leading Aggies held off GCU 15-9 in the fifth set.

GCU was led by Claire Kovensky with 19 kills, hitting at a .326 clip and adding nine digs. Tardy finished with 12 kills and three blocks. Teagan DeFalco added 12 kills and 21 digs while Sarah Hagge finished with 11 kills.

Emma Ahern had a match-high 33 digs while Hannah Hicks led GCU with seven blocks. Maria Adams had a productive night with six kills on .455 hitting with five blocks.

Heidi Carpenter led GCU with 33 assists and nine digs, while Kayla Redfield finished with 24 assists, five digs and three aces.

NMSU was led by Tatyana Battle with 19 kills and Megan Hart with 18 kills.

NMSU hit at a .390 clip in the first set and went on a run mid-way through the first to put it out of reach. GCU was within 13-11 after a DeFalco kill, but NMSU scored eight of the next nine points to lead 21-12. The Aggies would close it out 25-19.

Tardy sent down the first two kills of the second set to reach the career 1,000 kills mark. She becomes the fifth Lope all-time to reach the number, but first to do it against NCAA DI competition. Her early kills sparked a 5-0 run to start the set. NMSU would tie the set up at 16-16, but GCU responded on a pair of blocks by Hicks. GCU would finish off NMSU with five straight points and win 25-18.

GCU led the third set 11-7 after an NMSU attack error. NMSU quickly tied the set up at 12-12 and would later lead 17-15. The Aggies would pull away and win the set 25-20 and go up 2-1 in the match.

The Lopes and Aggies were tied up at 8-8 in the fourth set but GCU went on a 10-5 run, capped by a NMSU attack error and GCU led 18-13. NMSU rallied back to pull within 20-19, but a kill by Kovensky stopped the run. With the Aggies trailing by just one at 23-22, GCU got a big kill from Tardy to set up game point. GCU called on DeFalco who sent down the kill at 25-23, forcing set five.

NMSU started strong in the fifth, scoring the first four points. GCU pulled within 8-7 and later 9-8 after a Kovensky kill. The Aggies would score six of the final seven points to win the set and match 15-9.

GCU is back in action on Saturday in a Senior Day match-up with UTRGV. First serve is set for 1 PM in GCU Arena.